The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of garden rose plant which originated from a controlled crossing between an unnamed seedling and Dorus Rijkers. The two parents were crossed during the summer of 1986, and the resulting seeds were planted in a controlled environment. The new variety is named xe2x80x98POULrustxe2x80x99.
The new rose may be distinguished from its seed parent, an unnamed seedling, by the following combination of characteristics:
1. The seed parent is a low growing, spreading variety, while xe2x80x98POULrustxe2x80x99 is more upright.
2. The unnamed seedling has small, single, soft pink to white flowers.
The new variety may be distinguished from its pollen parent, Dorus Rijkers, by the following characteristic:
1. The pollen parent is a pink floribunda.
The objective of the hybridization of this rose variety for nursery and garden use was to create a new distinct variety with unique qualities, such as:
1. A garden rose plant with abundant, semi double, dark lavender pink flowers;
2. Abundant, shiny foliage on a vigorous yet compact growing plant;
3. Good growth as a traditionally budded plant as well as from cuttings.
4. Excellent disease resistance.
This combination of qualities is not present in previously available commercial cultivars of this type and distinguish xe2x80x98POULrustxe2x80x99 from all other varieties of which we are aware.
As part of their rose development program, L. Pernille Olesen and Mogens N. Olesen germinated the seeds from the aforementioned hybridization and conducted evaluations on the resulting seedlings in a controlled environment in Fredensborg, Denmark.
xe2x80x98POULrustxe2x80x99 was selected by the inventors in the spring of 1987 as a single plant from the progeny of the aforementioned hybridization.
Asexual reproduction of xe2x80x98POULrustxe2x80x99 by traditional budding was first done by L. Pernille and Mogens N. Olesen in their nursery in Fredensborg, Denmark in August, 1987. This initial and other subsequent propagations conducted in controlled environments have demonstrated that the characteristics of xe2x80x98POULrustxe2x80x99 are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.